What's Next for Downtown Lynn?

A few of the plan's recommendations and objectives include:

• Begin planning for long-term objectives and obtain GIS technology
• Establish a public relations campaign to assist property and business owners in marketing the City
• Change zoning to prevent future industrial and automotive uses in Downtown
• Create design guidelines for each district within Downtown
• Encourage a vibrant downtown with a synergy between residential, retail, cultural, government, college, and office uses
• Develop 500 or more market rate housing units
• Eliminate incompatible uses and encourage infill development
• Consider alternate uses for the 50 acres of surface parking in Downtown and explore options for structured parking
• Support an arts and cultural district and establish cultural destinations to complement the downtown living and working environment
• Create a gateway where Market Street meets the Lynnway and link the Downtown to its Waterfront

The Economic Development Strategy consultant team conducted a survey of business owners and interviewed major employers and property owners, along with analyzing Lynn's tax base, land use, and demographic characteristics. Of the 40 business owners surveyed, 78% indicated "Downtown Revitalization" was a long-term opportunity for the city. Many of the recommendations overlap or build on recommendations made during the 2004 workshop. The strategy included a list of target projects for Downtown for $1.5-3.5 million in short-term investment and $12.7-24.9 million in long-term investments. The projects listed included some that were underway at the time of the study, as well as projects in the pipeline that would add hundreds of new residential units, thousands of new non-residential square feet, dozens of new jobs and millions in new real estate taxes.

Some of the recommendations from this strategy include:

• Increasing the City's responsiveness and outreach to business owners to encourage retention and promote expansion of existing businesses
• Establishing a mechanism for the Mayor and City Council to track and review its progress towards meeting planning and economic development goals
• Develop a clear organizational framework for the City to coordinate planning efforts and implement recommendations
• Continuing to advocate for the Blue Line extension
• Offering density bonuses for new construction and allowing 10 story buildings
• Establishing a redevelopment fund of $2 million to invest in high priority projects and utilizing District Improvement Financing (DIF) along with private investment to stimulate economic activity in Downtown

According to the consultants' analysis, existing municipal parking lots were underutilized and could accommodate "all of the overnight on-street parked vehicles observed, as well as the overnight parking generated by future planned residential developments" (BETA Group, page 2). They also recommended lighting, surveillance cameras, and emergency call boxes to reduce the risk of crime and improve the feeling of safety in municipal lots.

During daytime hours, the Blake and Spring Street lots approached their capacity but the other municipal lots on Andrew Street, Buffum Street, Ellis Street, and Union Street had surplus parking available at all times. The consultants also noted that on-street parking at the time was underutilized, with 55% of the on-street parking capacity in use during peak hours.

To accommodate the anticipated increase in demand and manage parking, BETA Group suggested issuing different types of color-coded parking permits for day, night, and "24/7" parking in the municipal lots and adding meters to on-street spaces in high demand areas.

The report recommended a review of the Master Plan every five years to ensure its validity and to reflect the City's and community's vision. In addition to the report which is available on various City of Lynn websites, Sasaki Associates has a webpage for the project as well. The Lower Sagamore Hill section of the Waterfront Master Plan is in the MAPC Downtown Lynn study area, and the Downtown Waterfront district is immediately adjacent to the MAPC Downtown Lynn study area.

The plan suggests a number of specific urban design improvements to enhance Downtown's appearance, improve streetscaping and landscaping, create gateways, add park space, and make the district more appealing for walking. It also suggests opportunities for infill development, added structured parking, zoning changes, and improve traffic circulation.

The action plan on pages 34-35 identifies the following recommendations (the bold headings in the action plan by VHB are listed here verbatim, but refer to the full document for more details):

• Change zoning and related land use regulations
• Invest in establishing a prominent gateway entry to downtown via Market Street
• Implement a façade improvement program for Market Street businesses
• Invest in open space and landscape improvements
• Enhance downtown traffic flow
• Implement downtown signage program
• Acquire vacant/distressed property where possible
• Set redevelopment goals and monitor progress

Most of the plan's observations and recommendations are still relevant today and this document in particular informed MAPC about Downtown development challenges and opportunities. The document recommends tracking implementation progress and periodically reviewing and updating the priorities identified in the plan.

The July 2011 Economic Development Self Assessment Tool Report (EDSAT) by the Dukakis Center and in partnership with the National League of Cities is a municipal self-assessment of business friendly practices, using a series of questions that businesses consider when evaluating locations. The questions were developed based upon a survey of real estate and location professionals from the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) , a commercial real estate development association, and CoreNet Global, an association for "corporate real estate (CRE) and workplace professionals, service providers and economic developers" (About Us, CoreNet Global). The Dukakis Center asks municipal officials, business leaders, and civic leaders to "come together as a team for self assessment" (Lynn EDSAT, page 3). Their responses are then compared with nearby municipalities. The report for Lynn was used with permission from Mayor Kennedy's office, as it is not a public document available online. Some highlights from the EDSAT, organized by theme, are noted below.

Partnerships and collaboration:

• Partnerships between the City, EDIC, and Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce are a strength
• Lynn should work more closes with regional and state planning and development agencies and organizations.

Business attraction, retention, and marketing:

• Lynn's EDIC maintains a list of development sites, which is a strength
• Lynn can improve business friendliness by establishing a formal procedure to check in on firm satisfaction and addressing areas of dissatisfaction.
• Lynn can collect data from developers and businesses about their location decisions when the choose Lynn, as well as for when they consider Lynn but opt for another municipality
• At the time when the EDSAT was written, a clean technology business incubator that had located in Downtown Lynn was touted as a strength - but the incubator has since moved out of the City to another North Shore community.
• Lynn should design a marketing plan with input from location and industry specialists to address and correct misconceptions about Lynn as well as to rebrand the City. The City should use spokespersons from local businesses to speak on behalf of the City as a way of cross-marketing
• Lynn could benefit from exploring business incentives offered by the state

Permitting:

• Lynn's overlay districts help to expedite permitting for certain land uses
  
• Lynn should provide prospective businesses and developers a checklist of permitting requirements, a flow chart of the permitting process, and a developer handbook
• Lynn needs to streamline permitting and site plan review, along with implementing an expedited permitting process
• Abutters, organized neighborhood groups, and unions slow the permitting process in Lynn more than in comparison group municipalities
• Lynn should establish an ombudsperson or team to review and streamline the permitting process, as well as serve as the primary point of contact for prospective businesses and developers

Property conditions and redevelopment:

• Lynn's system of code enforcement for nuisances on abandoned property and trash, along with the system for monitoring code violations, which is a strength
• Lynn helps to clear the liens for new owners by seeking tax abatements for tax title properties, which is likely to have long-term economic development benefits for the City
• Lynn could create a process to reclaim tax delinquent properties or abandoned or underutilized shopping centers for redevelopment, to help prevent stagnation and stimulate redevelopment
• Many commercial development sites are in need of renovations or are vacant

Location advantages:

• Arts and culture amenities are advantageous for economic development and the arts community can play a role in downtown
• Retail space rents are lower in the CBD than comparison group municipalities, which is advantageous, but the City could benefit from a higher proportion of Class A space
• Lynn's access to commuter rail, future access to a commuter ferry, and its proximity to the airport are advantageous location factors

Resources to improve transportation conditions:

• Lynn could benefit from having a transportation specialist on staff
• Lynn has not used state or federal infrastructure grants to improve parking

In the Forward for this report, Carly McClain describes the New Lynn Coalition as "comprised of union and community groups in Lynn, MA who have a solid base in the community and have a history of working together to improve conditions for all people in Lynn. The coalition’s mission is to organize all sectors of working class people in the region into a unified permanent, political, and economic force that includes those in unions as well as unorganized and transcends racial, linguistic, ethnic, citizenship, and gender boundaries” (New Lynn Coalition, 6).

Key findings in that report included data on demographics, income level, poverty, educational attainment, foreclosures, and health issues. The goal of the New Lynn Coalition is to create a “New Lynn” in four distinct, but integrally connected ways: politics, economic development, research, and culture and education (6). The report states “to build momentum to help change Lynn for the better, we need to increase civic engagement at many levels” (New Lynn Coalition 28).

Promoting civic engagement and equitable development are key to ensuring Downtown Lynn is able to retain what makes it unique, such as its multicultural diversity and its arts and culture scene, as property values increase and Downtown becomes more prosperous.

The presentation addressed perception challenges, building the brand, and suggested directions. Current perception of Downtown Lynn, as compiled by Ms. Almy, included negative images and associations that Lynn tries to battle, as well as positive images and associations that Lynn can build its brand on. As she puts it, "the district is invested in changing perception through action," which includes "building the brand." She provided suggestions for a mission statement, changing the district name from the initial "Central Exchange Cultural District," possible slogans, logo and style considerations, imagery and voice, signage, website design, and social media outreach.

Ms. Almy also addressed marketing the city, the district, and individual organizations with a coordinated approach and consistent messaging that ties back to the district's mission. Additionally, she proposed district specific programming such as continuing with Third Thursdays, which were already in place at the time of this presentations, as well as opportunities to showcase street art through what she called "The Decade Project." Finally, she suggested marketing the "Food and Fun" Downtown Lynn and the Waterfront have to offer, and better connecting these assets for visitors.

The presentation included a three year plan and next steps. It led directly to the brand and brand elements that currently exist, including the district name (Downtown Lynn Cultural District, or DTLCD, which members of the stakeholders group voted for), the dtlcd.org website, associated social media, logo, brand elements and "voice."

Findings in this report are based on the premise that "economic success" for a city is "the collective ability of a community to create new net wealth for its residents over a sustained period of time" (Duclos-Orsello et. al., page 1). The report emphasizes that the City's economic development strategy must go beyond traditional tools such as attracting businesses to the community with tax breaks, as such incentives do not address community needs and thus are incomplete because "community development and economic development in today's society are linked in such a way that one cannot prosper without consideration of the other (Greenwood and Holt, 2010), thereby placing a certain amount to importance on factors that are not necessarily measurable using traditional economic tools" (Duclos-Orsello et. al., page 2). A combination of traditional economic development tools along with consideration for "existing social networks and social capital," "participatory arts and cultural opportunities," and "multiple and overlapping 'community' identities" (Duclos-Orsello et. al., page 2 are what will lead to economic prosperity for a city and its citizens.

For Lynn specifically, the report recommends these actions for Lynn (Duclos-Orsello et. al. page 8):

• Create a vision for the City and hold community meetings to integrate feedback and achieve buy-in
• Develop a community asset map that highlights the City's competitive advantages, noting "existing infrastructures (physical, governmental, virtual, and educational) and cultural nuances (innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration," and use this as a tool for future marketing efforts
• Develop and market a "brand identity" for the City
• Pursue a business support strategy and create and maintain inventory of properties

The report emphasizes the benefits of collaborative efforts between various organizations, city agencies and departments, and businesses to improve the quality of life and increase prosperity in Lynn.

Of the businesses surveyed, 42% had been in business for 5 years or less, while 13% of those surveyed had been in business for more than three decades. Most were small businesses;, 65 of the businesses surveyed reported having 0-5 employees. Types of businesses varied but the most common categories identified were restaurants (23 of those surveyed), beauty (19), market (10), and clothing (7).

Business owners' countries of origin included the United States (24 businesses, or 32% of those surveyed), the Dominican Republic (19 businesses, 26%), Cambodia (4 businesses, 5%), Vietnam (4 businesses, 5%), Bangladesh (3 businesses, 4%), Puerto Rico (3 businesses, 4%) and many other countries and regions. English proficiency varied among the business owners, and additional languages spoken among those surveyed include: Spanish, Bengali, Cambodian, Greek, Mandarin, Khmer, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Pushto, and Punjabi.

In terms of these business owners' networks within the business community, 74% of those who responded indicated that they do not belong to a business networking group, while about 8% said they belong to the North Shore Latino Business Association, 5% said they belong to the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce, 3% said they belong to the National Federation of Independent Businesses, and 10% identified other organizations and networks.

Many of these businesses, 39%, do not access resources and support services for their businesses. Those who do access resources get their information from government agencies (15%), newspapers, flyers, or ads (10%), the Internet (6%), their accountants (5%), banks (5%), through networking (5%), and other sources.

Many of these businesses rely on their personal finances to support the business, while others have accessed financing from banks (25%), private investment (18%), City Hall (7%) and other sources.

Survey results were provided to the MAPC project team by the consultant. MAPC is also the grant administrator for this project and has provided some assistance with scoping and managing it. The project also included training workshops and will include a final report by MassINC, which is forthcoming.

Bluestone encouraged the city to turn the "deal breakers" identified in the EDSAT into "deal makers" and to integrate economic development goals into master planning. He emphasized that Lynn has "great potential" and is on the cusp of a Renaissance, but that the city needs to pursue more regional collaboration. He noted progress on cooperation between the city and its businesses in advancing economic development goals. He noted opportunities that ferry service could open up, particularly in connecting Lynn to other economic hubs such as the Innovation District in the Boston Seaport and New Quincy Center south of Boston - he calls this potential economic link between Quincy, Boston, and Lynn the New "Fertile Crescent" (Quotations from Dr. Bluestone's presentation slides, as provided to the MAPC project team).

Lynn has the potential to thrive in the 21^st century as a place for young families and innovative businesses to prosper and where visitors from around the region will go to enjoy arts, culture, and restaurants.